Bills Would Suspend FSSA Privatization Rollout

Republican State Representative Suzanne Crouch and Republican State Senator Vaneta Becker, both of Evansville, have introduced legislation to suspend the rollout of Family and Social Services Administration privatization efforts. Crouch says the bills require FSSA to wait before finishing rollout of the web and phone based benefits system run by I-B-M owned companies until current problems can be fixed.

“Many of my constituents have experienced problems where paperwork was lost, where they have to continue to send paperwork, where when they call in they have to wait 45 minutes to an hour and a lot of these individuals have prepaid phone cards. And then when they get a hold of someone, they can’t get there questions answered and they get transferred around.”

Crouch says the bill would require FSSA to provide a report to the Medicaid Oversight Committee detailing progress on constituent complaints before proceeding with statewide rollout of the benefits automation system. Crouch says no hearings have been scheduled, but Public Health Committee Chair Representative Charlie Brown of Gary says he will hear her bill in the House.